Does The Hobbit look 'too real'?
Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit is one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012, but according to some critics, the fantasy epic may look 'too real'.
The Kiwi director has shot the film at 48 frames per second, twice the speed of regular film frame rates, and a screening of extended footage from The Hobbit has provoked a mixed reaction.
Jeff Wells of HollywoodElsewhere said the footage was "most startlingly 'real' 3D I've ever seen in my life" but added: "It doesn't look 'cinematic', lacking that filtered or gauzy look we're all accustomed to."
Meanwhile, a projectionist who saw the Hobbit footage at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas told the LA Times: "It looked like a made-for-TV movie," another projectionist told the LA Times: "It was too accurate - too clear. The contrast ratio isn't there yet - everything looked either too bright or black."
In a recorded message prior to the CinemaCon screening, Jackson had said he believed shooting and projecting films at 48 frames per second could make movies "more attractive" and improve 3D viewing experiences as the higher frame rates are "more gentle on the eye".
But some CinemaCon attendees seemed unconvinced by the cinematography, complaining that it felt too bright and querying whether audiences "want to watch movies that really look real or not".
Other writers were more positive, with Rebecca Murray of About.com stating: "It's literally like being on the set next to the actors as they're performing."
She added: "Once audiences get to see The Hobbit screened at the 48 frames per second rate when it's released in theaters... I can guarantee moviegoers are going to demand all films be presented at 48 fps."
Starring Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Sir Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - the first of Jackson's two films based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel - is released in December.
Source: Guardian
